Cho Myoung-gyon
{{Short description|South Korean politician (born 1957)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| native_name = {{nobold|조명균}}
| alma_mater = Sungkyunkwan University
Seoul National University
| office = Minister of Unification
| president = Moon Jae-in
| primeminister = Lee Nak-yeon
| predecessor = Hong Yong-pyo
| successor = Kim Yeon-chul
| termstart = 3 July 2017
| termend = 8 April 2019
| party = independent
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|11|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Uijeongbu, South Korea
| blank1 = Religion
| data1 = Roman Catholicism
}}
{{family name hatnote|Cho||lang=Korean}}
Cho Myoung-gyon ({{Korean|hangul=조명균|hanja=趙明均}}; born 17 November 1957) is a South Korean politician previously served as President Moon Jae-in's first Minister of Unification.
After passing the state exam in 1979, Cho spent most of his career at the Ministry of Unification.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:[프로필]조명균 통일부 장관 후보자|url=https://www.hankyung.com/news/article/2017061313843|date=2017-06-13|website=The Korea Economic Daily|language=ko|access-date=2020-05-26}} He actively participated in multiple projects and negotiations with Pyongyang which resulted in enhanced Inter-Korean relations during Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations commended by then-Minister Jeong Se-hyun.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:통일장관 후보자 조명균의 '화려한 귀환'|url=http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002333778|date=2017-06-13|website=OhmyNews|language=ko|access-date=2020-05-26}}{{Unreliable source?|reason=See unreliable sources list on WP:KO/RS|date=November 2024}} He left public service upon the beginning of the new administration in 2008. Since then he completely distanced himself from politics before being appointed as Minister in 2017.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:"조명균 장관 어떻게 살아왔기에"...3無 인사평에 새삼 주목|url=http://www.enewstoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1081334|date=2017-06-30|website=이뉴스투데이|language=ko|access-date=2020-05-26}}
During his term as Minister, Inter-Korean relations dramatically improved which was deteriorated after Kim and Roh administrations.
He holds two degrees - a bachelor's in statistics from Sungkyunkwan University and a master's in administration from Seoul National University.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:[프로필] '남북회담 전문가' 조명균 통일부 장관 후보자|url=http://m.newspim.com/news/view/20170613000193|date=|website=NewsPim|language=ko|access-date=2020-05-26}}